A KNOCKOUT FREE GIFT...

Copyright REBELLION

Little did I know back in June of 1971 that I'd be moving to another house in a different neighbourhood a mere year later.  At the time, the future seemed to stretch out in front of me, eternal and unchanging to the familiar present I then knew.  It was not to be.

KNOCKOUT lasted for two years, covering the last year in my old house and the first year in my new one.  Strange, then, that apart from the 1972 Holiday Special and '73 Annual (which came out in August or September of '72), I associate the comic mainly with my former abode, not its successor.

Anyway, above is the free 'shaking' skeleton given away with #2, and below is the cover of the issue itself.  If you have any memories of this comic that you'd care to share, then the comments section awaits.

    

And below is another version, given away with a later IPC periodical - the Scottish edition of VULCAN #1.

BABE Of The DAY - JANET LEIGH...

Ah, doesn't JANET LEIGH look

lovely?  See you in the shower, Janet, my

mother's in the cellar.  I've just slid some

toast under the door for her.  Now where

 on earth did I put my soap?

WALTER HOWARTH JAMES BOND PAINTINGS...

Artist WALTER HOWARTH painted quite a few Annual covers in his day, as well as pictures for a couple of JAMES BOND jigsaws by ARROW GAMES in the '60s (the first two you see here).  Around 1998/'00, he re-created them for a private commission, plus another two which had originally been painted by a different artist. These are the re-creations - enjoy!

And here are two of the actual jigsaw boxes for you to compare.

And here are the other two - out of sequence because the

reproduction isn't quite as good as the previous pair.

PLAYMATES From FAR-AWAY PLACES - PART SEVEN...

Images copyright D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I don't know who'll be more relieved when we get to the last part of this series - you or me!  However, I've started so I'll finish.  Here's PEPITA from PORTUGAL!  What I'd like to know is why they didn't do a GORDON from GLASGOW - that would've been a hit!  (Well, it sure would've been with me!)

"This little boy is Gordon from Glasgow.  His daddy is the leader of one of the City's famous razor gangs.  If you own a shop or business, Gordon's daddy will pay you a courtesy visit with his associates and kindly and considerately lighten the load in your till, wallet, or safe.  For this, you will receive protection from being robbed - by everybody but Gordon's daddy and his team of vicious psychopaths.

There are six razors hidden in the picture.  Can you find them?  (Better not grass to the police.)"